Football

Five Wyoming Cowboys Earn All-Mountain West Conference HonorsSophomore Eddie Yarbrough Earns First Team Honors, Marqueston Huff Named to the Second Team, Brett Smith, Robert Herron and Jordan Stanton Named Honorable Mention All-MW

Wyoming sophomore defensive end Eddie Yarbrough was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference on Tuesday, and Cowboy senior free safety Marqueston Huff earned Mountain West Second Team honors as the 2013 All-Conference Football Team was announced on by the Mountain West.

The team was selected by Mountain West head coaches and media representatives covering each of the 12 Mountain West member universities.

It was the first all-conference honor of both Yarbrough's and Huff's careers. Smith and Herron were both named Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season. Stanton, who just completed his first season with the Cowboys after transferring to UW from Los Angeles Pierce Community College, also earned his first all-conference honor as a Cowboy.

Eddie Yarbrough, Sophomore, Defensive End
Yarbrough becomes only the second Wyoming sophomore in Mountain West history to earn First Team All-Conference honors. The only other Cowboy sophomore to be named First Team All-Mountain West was wide receiver Ryan McGuffey in 2001.

Yarbrough led all Mountain West defensive linemen in tackles (7.4 tackles per game) this season. His 89 total tackles were 22 more than any other MW defensive lineman this season. Yarbrough tied for No. 5 in the conference and No. 74 in the nation in fumbles recovered, averaging 0.17 per game (two total). He ranked No. 6 in the Mountain West in quarterback sacks, averaging 0.54 per game (6.5 total sacks). He was 21st in the Mountain West in tackles for all players at all positions (7.4 tackles per game ). Yarbrough also was among the league leaders in tackles for loss, ranking eighth, with 12.0 total tackles for loss (1.00 per game).

Yarbrough was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Idaho, recording nine tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He recorded 13 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss in the season opener versus No. 18 Nebraska. He had 11 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.0 TFL and one forced fumble at Boise State, had nine tackles versus San Jose State and Idaho, and eight tackles vs. Air Force, Colorado State and Texas State. The native of Aurora, Colo., recorded six tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.0 TFL, one forced fumble and one blocked kick vs. Hawai'i. He also added one fumble recovery, which he returned for 41 yards in the season finale at Utah State.

Marqueston Huff, Senior, Free Safety
Huff concluded his Wyoming career among the nation's leaders in tackles in 2013. He led all Mountain West defensive backs in tackles with 127. That was 30 tackles more than any other MW defensive back, and it ties him for 11th on the Wyoming single-season tackle list.

Huff averaged 10.6 tackles per game to rank No. 4 in the conference among all players at all positions. His 10.6 tackle average also ranked him No. 11 in the nation. Huff was credited with 74 solo tackles, to lead the Cowboys in that category. He ranked No. 2 in the MW and No. 9 in the NCAA in solo tackles. Huff recorded six double-figure tackle games this season, including a career high 20 versus Utah State in the final game of the season. Those 20 tackles ties for the third best single-game performance in Wyoming history. He also had 18 tackles at Nebraska, which ties for No. 7 on the Wyoming all-time chart. Huff added 13 tackles vs. Fresno State and Boise State, 11 at Texas State and 10 vs. New Mexico. He had two interceptions this season - one versus Colorado State and one versus Texas State. Huff was credited with six pass breakups to go with his two interceptions. He recovered two fumbles to rank No. 5 in the Mountain West and No. 74 in the NCAA.

He was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Nebraska, making 18 tackles, forcing one fumble and recovering one fumble in 34-37 loss against the then No. 18 ranked Huskers.

Huff was also voted one of four team captains his senior season.

Brett Smith, Junior, Quarterback
Smith led Wyoming's Honorable Mention selections, earning that honor for the second consecutive season. In one of the best quarterback leagues in the country, Smith concluded the season ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West and No. 11 in the nation in total offense (329.0 yards per game). He also ranked No. 3 in the league and No. 15 in the NCAA in passing yards (281.2 yards per game). In both categories, he ranked behind seniors Derek Carr of Fresno State and David Fales of San Jose State, who were the First and Second Team All-Mountain West selections, respectively.

Smith was named to the Maxwell Trophy Watch List for 2013. He was named to the Manning Award Watch List for the second consecutive year, and was named a Manning Star of the Week three times this season.

He ended the season ranked No. 3 in the MW and No. 11 in the country in passing TDs (29 total) and No. 3 in the conference and No. 15 in the nation in points responsible for (200 total points responsible for).

He set the Mountain West single-game record for total offense, with 640 yards (298 passing and 142 rushing) vs. Hawai'i. His 640 yards of total offense vs. Hawai'i ranks No. 1 in the nation this season for most yards of total offense in a single game.

Smith's 3,948 yards of total offense this season ranks No. 2 in the MW this year and ranks No. 6 in Mountain West history for a single season. His eight TDs Responsible for vs. Hawai'i (seven passing TDs and one rushing) set a new Mountain West record and ranks No. 1 in the nation this season. His seven TD passes vs. Hawai'i ranks No. 1 in the nation this season and set a new Mountain West and Wyoming school record. He also holds the Mountain West record for generating a touchdown, either by passing or rushing, for 35 consecutive games, which is every game he has played in college.

Smith was named MW Offensive Player of the Week twice as a junior vs. Air Force and Hawai'i.

He concluded his junior season with 10,365 yards of total offense, which is the Wyoming school record and ranks No. 5 in Mountain West history. Smith was voted one of four team captains for the Cowboys in 2013.

Robert Herron, Senior, Wide Receiver
Herron earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors for the second straight season. Herron caught 72 passes for 937 yards and nine touchdowns his senior season. He ranked No. 10 in the league and No. 53 in the country in receiving yards, averaging 78.1 yards per game. He also ranked No. 10 in the MW and No. 37 in the nation in receptions, averaging 6.0 per game. In terms of receiving touchdowns, Herron ranked No. 6 in the league and No. 28 in the NCAA this season, with nine TD receptions.

For his career, Herron ended his time as a Cowboy with 2,030 receiving yards, placing him No. 8 in school history. His 152 career receptions ranks him tied for 10th in Wyoming history, and his 20 career TD receptions is No. 4 in the UW record book.

Jordan Stanton, Junior, Linebacker
Stanton had an outstanding season in his first year at the FBS level after transferring to UW from junior college. Stanton ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 5 in the NCAA in tackles, averaging 11.2 per game. He also ranked No. 3 in the conference and No. 13 in the nation in solo tackles, averaging 5.9 per game.

Stanton led Wyoming in tackles with 134 total tackles. That ties for the eighth best single-season total in school history.

He recorded seven double-figure tackle games, including 18 against Colorado State, which ties for the seventh best single-game total in school history. His other double-figure tackle games included: 17 vs. Fresno State, 17 at San Jose State, 14 vs. New Mexico, 12 vs. Northern Colorado, 11 at Utah State and 10 at Air Force. He recorded a career high nine solo tackles twice this season -- versus Air Force and Colorado State. Stanton also had eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for losses at Nebraska in the season opener.

He returned the first interception of his career 39 yards for a touchdown versus Northern Colorado, and picked off a second pass in the final game of the season at Utah State.

Utah State head coach Matt Wells was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year. Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards went to Fresno State senior quarterback Derek Carr and Colorado State senior linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Special Teams Player of the Year was awarded to New Mexico sophomore kick returner Carlos Wiggins. The 2013 MW Freshman of the Year award went to San Jose State wide receiver Tyler Winston.